A Time to Give Thanks!

The holiday season is still my favorite time of year but that was not always the case. After losing Sugar Bear I was not sure how there would be any more celebrations nor holiday festivities. I did not want to celebrate anything, and I did not think I ever would. Despite the incredible support from so many friends (that are still standing by us to this very day) what truly got me to the proverbial “other side” of such a horrific loss was the very person I was grieving. As ironic as it may sound, it was several pivotal conversations we had throughout our marriage and before Sugar Bear left for Afghanistan. His words and spirit kept me going and reminded me to embrace life, smile, feel joy, count my blessings, and celebrate everything. I have made it a point to do just that and instill in our children that same mindset. And while I reflect this month on the Sugar Bear Foundation, I feel so much joy and gratitude.

I recently had the opportunity to tour the Pentagon. It was an incredible experience, especially from a historical perspective. My friend and guide was able to share a lot of the details from 911 which had a profound impact on me and my visit. I was reminded of loss and it inspired me to continue to give back especially during this holiday season, and reinforces why we continue to work hard to provide the many programs offered by the Sugar Bear Foundation. From our amazing memorial scholarship sponsor RF-Lambda and the upcoming Holiday Open House at their site, to the spouses we have been able to provide financial assistance as they regain their footing and start rebuilding their lives. We feel incredibly blessed for the Merry Margarita Party where the Sugar Bear Foundation will be the recipient of a silent auction. The funds raised from this event will go directly towards our programs such as  Financial Assitance, Coaching, Holiday Gift Card Campaign, and our first retreat for spouses.

We have so much to be thankful for and this provides me an incredible sense of joy as I know Sugar Bear would be happy with our work. I am also grateful for my incredible board, their time, continued service, and the opportunity to welcome Tony Gallardo to our team. 

Not only is this a beautiful season, but a very busy time too and we appreciate all of your continued support. We hope you will reach out if you feel compelled to donate an item for the auction or make a contribution to our Holiday Gift Cards Campaign or any of our programs. We appreciate any and all assistance as we give back to the spouses and children who have given their all. 

Thank you,

Jennifer Carazo
Gold Star wife/ President 

Preparing for the Holiday Season

This year has flown by and I cannot believe we are starting to prepare for the holiday season. Despite all the sadness, anxiety, and uncertainty during the pandemic we have remained vigilant in sustaining our programs and expanding our opportunities. So, as I reflect, I feel incredibly blessed since we reached our goals and more. This comes from the amazing support we have received from our donors, our educational sponsor, RF-LAMBDA, and our partner organizations.

I recently had the opportunity to tour the future site of our first retreat for spouses in North Carolina. We are partnering with an amazing organization, Eagle Rock Camp which serves veterans and their families struggling with trauma. Lynn, the founder, and President is a fellow widow with whom I instantly connected through our shared experiences, faith, an immense desire to give back.  This will be Eagle Rock’s first retreat for the Surviving spouse community, and I am excited for the curriculum we are creating as well as the possibilities to grow this program.

Additionally, we have two new opportunities for our spouses. First, from a dear friend and another fellow widow. Susan Hannifin-McNab, an author, educator, and social worker is offering both personal and group support sessions for our spouses dealing with trauma and grief. Susan created the A2Z Toolbox to assist survivors dealing with loss. Susan will join our free Coaching Program with Sarah Davis as a means of providing career, educational and emotional support to our spouses.  Additionally, we are working with Patriots Path to provide a Career Transition course specifically for Gold Star/Surviving spouses. This is a wonderful addition to our work because it will serve as an excellent resource for our spouses looking to rejoin the workforce, contemplating a career change, or simply exploring employment options.

With the holiday season approaching, we are very grateful to share we will once again be the recipient of the Merry Margaritas Auction Fundraiser. If you or your business would like to contribute with an auction item, please contact Admin@thesugarbearfoundation.org. Additionally, we are also seeking donations for our holiday gift card drive. Funds will again be used to purchase gift cards for our families that are in need this holiday season.

Finally, we are thrilled to announce Gold Star daughter, Sarah Lee is our 2021 RF-LAMBDA Memorial Scholarship recipient. We are so happy to assist Sarah with her educational endeavors. Please make sure to check out Sarah’s story. If you are a Gold Star son or daughter needing assistance with your educational goals, make sure to check out the requirements. None of this would be possible without the incredible support we receive from RF-LAMBDA.  Aside from the scholarship, they help us provide virtual tutoring, college consulting, and this month’s College Planning Workshop among other opportunities.

As always, thank you for helping us continue Sugar Bear’s legacy of service while giving back to the families who have given their all. If you would like to provide some specific support or have an idea to assist us with our mission, please contact Admin@thesugarbearfoundation.org.

Thank you,

Jennifer Carazo
Gold Star wife and President/CEO

Thank You to Our Military, Veterans and Gold Star Families

As I am writing this note my heart is breaking with the attacks in Afghanistan. I know what lies ahead for the families of these heroes and the pain they will endure. Our team is praying and will continue to do so, and we stand ready to assist in any manner to help, not just today, but tomorrow and in the months and years ahead.  We also want to say thank you to our veterans who have served and have kept our nation safe. We are very grateful! 

As we continue to work to provide more programs and opportunities for our families, we are thrilled to offer these two upcoming virtual events (Online College Planning Workshop and Online Career Transition Course) and our college consulting for Gold Star teens and spouses.  

As such we are also happy to now partner with Patriots Path and for the Online Career Transition course, they have put together for Gold Star and Surviving Spouses. This class is not only for those who have identified their career goals, but it is also for spouses who would like to explore employment opportunities and how to best achieve future endeavors. Patriots Path will provide additional virtual events for us such as networking opportunities, as well as career coaching and personality assessments. 

As part of our Virtual Tutoring Program, we also offer college consulting. This program is available to spouses and children (8th grade and up) and will enable our families to work with an experienced consultant with years of experience helping families with the college planning process. 

We are also excited to announce that we are working with Eagle Rock Camp and co-hosting our first retreat in North Carolina for Gold Star and Surviving spouses. The retreat will take place at the end of March in 2022 and will focus on providing these spouses with four days to focus on themselves, their healing, health, and well-being. Applications will be available soon and we look forward to sharing soon. 

All these programs and opportunities are free to our families thanks to the generous support we receive from our educational sponsor, RF-LAMBDA, donors, and grants.  Our mission has been and will continue to focus on providing educational, career, and financial assistance to the families we serve so they might know an easier path after the loss of their service member. Now more than ever we need to provide such support and we thank you for helping us do so. I am personally so grateful that we are able to continue to grow and do more and we are working to do just that.  

If you are a Gold Star/Surviving spouse and are interested in the above opportunities or any of our programs for your children or yourself, please contact our Admin@thesugarbearfoundation.org. Also, make sure to sign up for our newsletter and complete our Registry as we are working on several new resources and programs such as our Surviving Spouses Network and Virtual STEM Club.  

Thank you,

Jennifer Carazo 
Gold Star wife/Chairman

Thank You for Participating in Sugar Bear's 2021 Virtual Memorial Run!

Thank you to everyone who participated in Sugar Bear's Virtual Memorial Run. Your support of this event will help fund our programs for the coming year. If you are a Gold Star/Surviving Spouse or child, we hope you will check out the various programs and opportunities we are currently offering as well as stay tuned for new offerings. If you have not already, sign up for our newsletter, complete our registry and follow us on social media. Additionally, I would like to thank our Sugar Bear Foundation Ambassadors for helping us share our mission, promoting the Virtual Run, and raising awareness on behalf of Gold Star spouses and children. We are very grateful for your time and support! If you are interested in learning more about our Ambassador Program, please contact Admin@thesugarbearfoundation.org. It is a great way to give back, get involved with your community, and even earn service hours. We hope you will join us! 

We especially appreciate the Marine Corps Association's belief in and support of our mission and work with Gold Star families. 

As always, if you have an idea or would like to share your time/talents with us, we hope you will reach out to the above email address. We could not do any of our work without such support. 

Thank you,

Jennifer Carazo
Gold Star wife and Chairman